Hempstead County

Hempstead County was formed on December 15, 1818, from parts of Arkansas County and was named for Edward Hempstead, Missouri Territory's representative to Congress. The landscape is rolling hills. The economy is made up of food processing, poultry and egg production, along with beef cattle, soybeans and fruit. Each summer the Hope Watermelon Festival is held. The county had two Wildlife Management Areas, Bois D'Arc and Hope, along with Millwood Lake, which features camping, picnicking, and swimming as well as hunting and fishing. The towns of Washington that includes the Old Washington State Park hold lots of history for the county. A Washington Blacksmith made Jim Bowie's famous knife and such is still being crafted at the same site. Hope, the county seat is also the hometown of President William Jefferson Clinton where his boyhood home has been restored and is open to the public. As of the 2000 census, Hempstead County had a population of 23,587 residents.